Help me get excited about Universal....

[acarsme123]

Hello all,
I am planning my family's first trip to Universal Florida for next spring (2020). Last time I was at Universal Florida was back in high school in the 90s! I have taken my family to Disney World twice in the last 4 years, and we absolutely are fanatics about it. Well my son, who will be 11 at the time of the planned trip, has been asking about going to Universal for a couple of years now, and I've decided to go ahead and take him next year.

For some reason my wife and I just can't get excited about the place though. I know it's a hot debate between which is better, Universal or Disney.....but not much about Universal seems appealing to my wife and I. The rides mostly seem to be screen/3D rides, which with her having epilepsy she can't handle very well. She can handle Flight of Passage ok, but she doesn't think she would be able to handle back-to-back 3D based rides.

And I know this sounds silly, but a huge part of our vacation is getting to try out good restaurants. Disney just seems to have a TON more variety and better sounding restaurants than Universal. So much so that i've jokingly told my wife maybe at night for dinner we should leave Universal and head over to Disney Springs!

So I guess I'm just looking for some advice and pointers and just general impressions/experiences to help get me more in a better mood about going to Universal. I also have some specific questions I was wondering if anyone can help answer.

#1. Do you need to make reservations at Universal restaurants like you do Disney World's? I know Disney reservations can be very hard to come by, even months out. I seem to get the impression that Universal you might be able to get away with not having a set plan and just doing walk-up? Also, what are the good restaurants at Universal? I have checked out most of the menus and hardly anything sounds all that exciting. Vivo looks good. And I'm sure Bubba Gump and Jimmy Buffet, while not totally unique in their offerings, would be decent food. Cowfish looks interesting.

#2. What is the best deluxe resort at Universal? Royal Pacific, Hard Rock, or Portafino? I know that's pretty subjective, but it seems like everything I've read Hard Rock keeps coming up on top, especially for it's convenience to the park. I want to stay deluxe because of the included ride pass. Deluxe at Universal seem to be a lot more affordable than Disney!

#3. How many days is ideal? I am kind of thinking of getting there on a Monday afternoon, and leaving on that Friday afternoon. Is that a good time frame, or is that too much? I figured that gives us 3 full days in the park, plus two half-days.

#4. The Volcano Bay water park looks pretty sweet. Is that a full-day experience? Also, I am a bigger guy and I don't feel comfortable going without a tshirt of some kind at pools and such. Does Universal allow guys to where t-shirts?

Thanks all.

 

[jerseygal]

We love both Universal and Disney for different reasons; we enjoy both for their uniquenes Just ate at Vivo in December, our party of eight, delicious, exemplary service, we all loved our meals! We were able to secure a reservation two weeks ahead, much easier than securing the popular Disney reservations. As far as EP, we have stayed at HR, RP, and PB(only once). Of the three, HR is our fav, such an easy walk to get to the Parks, love the pool, love the vibe..PB is pretty, but just personal opinion, not as convenient, pricier, and seemed too "sterile and cerebral" for us. Depending on the time of year you go, if you want to save some $, I would highly recommend Sapphire Falls, early entry but no EP. We recently went in Dec, early entry was almost dead, didn't need EP two of the days, on Saturday was the only day we missed EP. Personally with your plan of EP, if this is your first time, I think 3 full days would be enough especially if you would like to enjoy some pool time at the resort to relax. We really enjoy the HR pool. You may want to consider checking in very early on one of the days. If cost is a factor, stay 2 nights, you get 3 full days of EP. Do a split stay, do Universal 3 full days, then combine with a few days of Disney, best of both worlds. We are water park family, really wanted to do Volcano Bay, but weather wasn't in our favor. If you decide to stay at Sapphire Falls, VB is so convenient. Definitely get to VB early as I have read that it gets very crowded. Don't think you would need to head to Disney Springs, so many restaurants to choose from, in parks and at Citiwalk. As far as the attractions at Universal, if your wife can do FOP, don't think she would have a problem with anything at Universal. FOP bothered me in the very beginning and then I was fine. ENJOY!

 

[TexasBee]

1. In general, no, you don't need to worry about reservations. We really didn't care for Cowfish although I know it's popular on this board. We thought it was too crowded, and too expensive for the quality of the food we got. However, we LOVED Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and would go back just for that! There are a LOT of restaurants on Citywalk so you should be able to find something you'll enjoy pretty easily. I wish I'd been able to convince my family to go to Emeril's.

2. We stayed at Royal Pacific and liked it a lot. I looked at Hard Rock and felt like it would be too noisy for me but it is super close to the parks so it may be what you're looking for. The rooms at RP were comfortable, I liked the theming and the pool was nice. I also enjoyed the boat ride over to the parks area.

3. For us, 2 days was more than enough, so a schedule like you're proposing would be way too long. We were able to ride pretty much everything we wanted in the first day. It's just not nearly as big / involved as Disney's 4 parks!

4. My husband / kids had a terrible time at Volcano Bay. The queue system is not ideal - you can only get in virtual line for one ride at a time and it seemed like everyone got called for the same ride at the same time, so you still end up standing in line forever. The big attractions were of course heavily crowded. You may want to look for a rash guard - I think Lands End or LL Bean would have them in the sizes you are probably looking for. Whereas a park might not let you wear a Tshirt, they never say anything about a rash guard. It also dries a lot faster than a standard T.

I feel like this is coming off as a very negative review of Universal and I don't mean for it to be that way! We enjoyed doing it - once - and are very glad we got to see the Harry Potter stuff. It just wasn't Disney.

 

[kathleendsm]

Be excited! It’s great in a different way from Disney. We have always stayed at Royal Pacific: we like the theming and it’s reasonably close to the parks. I think Hard Rock is slightly closer, but we walked around the lobby and didn’t really enjoy the theming. We did like Portofino, and it has live music in the evenings, but it’s much farther from the parks. We prefer to walk, so RP is a great compromise for us. It does feel a bit small to be in a single room after DVC, but we make it work.

In terms of the rides, I always tell people that the rides at Universal are one standard deviation more intense than their counterpart in Disney. ET is a really easy dark ride, a lot like Peter Pan since it flies over a city and into a magical world. But it’s higher and faster with more swoops, so the restraints are stronger. Likewise, Simpsons/Minions/Jimmy Fallon vs. FOP or Soarin’. Each of them are also big screen motion simulators, but far more intense. And there’s simply no comparison for a ride like Forbidden Journey: it’s different from anything Disney has, and I find the motion extremely intense (being thrown upside down multiple times) as well as getting so close to spiders and the whomping willow that I got very nervous about Universal’s ride measurements. My almost-14 year old absolutely loves it though, along with almost all of the rides at Universal.

I take a Bonine each night to counteract motion sickness at Uni, the same as I do on a cruise. That means that most of the time I can keep my eyes open on the motion simulators.

Harry Potter is absolutely magical if you are a fan, and the Simpsons area is a hoot for anyone who enjoys the show. I think you’ll have a great time!

 

[DisneyMom93]

We are a diehard Disney family. We usually do 17 days in Disney and spend 10 days at the parks, from open to close.

We added Universal to one of our trips for 3 days at their parks. We really enjoyed it.

We are doing a 9-day vacation at Universal (Hard Rock Hotel) this year with four days at the parks and relaxing by the pool.

The key to enjoying Universal in comparison to Disney World? Don’t compare them! They are two totally different experiences.

We usually do one sit-down meal a day at Disney, but the options at Universal (in the parks) are so different. We didn’t do any sit-downs aside from days we didn’t do the park. You just have to take advantage of how much less there is to do at Universal and how much time you have to do it. It makes for a very relaxing vacation.

 

[Dr.Mickey]

We were just in your shoes - family of 5, with youngest (twins) age 11. They love big roller coasters at Carowinds, and they have been asking to go to Universal instead of Disney, which we have been doing together as a family since before the kids were born. We were there over Christmas for 4 park days plus 1 Epcot day. Here are my thoughts:

1. Hard Rock Hotel was awesome. Very convenient and nice deluxe stay. It compared favorably to most deluxe Disney resorts.
2. 4 days, with Express Passes, was plenty of time to see everything we wanted, plus lingering in places that we wanted to return to. We could easily have made it a 3 park day trip with no disappointment. In the future, if we do a trip with both Disney and Universal, we were all pretty unanimous that 2 days for a return trip is plenty. Other Universal lovers may disagree, but that was our consensus.
3. Restaurant reservations may depend on the time of year. Since we were there at Christmas week, it was crowded. I had 2 reservations, and we definitely needed one of them (Finnigan's). We LOVED our meal at Finnigan's Bar and Grill inside the theme park. You mentioned Disney Springs - we all liked Finnigan's better than Raglan Road at Springs. The food was better and much less expensive. The entertainment was much simpler (Irish singer with a guitar instead of a full band), but he was fantastic. As far as other table service restaurants, we were just so-so on Margaritaville, but the music was nice. Also, in the Hard Rock Hotel, we had an awesome dinner at The Kitchen, which looks like just a typical hotel restaurant, but it was wonderful. The one restaurant that we didn't do, which I wish we did, was the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium.
4. The reliance on 3D was a big concern for us, and not without some issues. My wife has had pretty significant vertigo in the past, and every now and then a ride will get her. A prime example was Animal Kingdom's FOP. For her, that was a one-and-done. So, how did we do? Pretty well. She actually loved the Escape from Gringotts (sort of roller coaster/3D hybrid). She rode it twice and would have ridden it again. She did well with the Shrek 4D movie. She was a little bothered by Jimmy Fallon (which she thought was hystirical, by the way). The big problems (several of which she skipped) were HP Forbidden Journey (it got me and I don't have motion sickness), The Simpsons (it was awful visually), and the Minions.
5. The most "Disney-like" immersive experience for us is all things Harry Potter. If you are a fan, which we are, you will love it. There is so much to see without ever riding a ride, especially in Diagon Alley. We loved it. And honestly, if it hadn't been for Harry we probably never would have taken a full trip to Universal.

Final thoughts: It was a very nice vacation. It is definitely worth doing as a family, especially if you like HP. But even after all was said and done, I think we had our best day of the trip at Epcot. Maybe it's the familiarity, like an old friend. Maybe it's the special holiday fireworks that make Illuminations even that much better. Maybe we are just Disney dorks (that's probably the case). But I'm glad we did it the way we did.

 

[bumbershoot]

Be excited!!

There. Did that work?

The rides mostly seem to be screen/3D rides

It can feel that way. But you don’t have to do them back to back.

List out the non screen rides for fun.

Disney just seems to have a TON more variety and better sounding restaurants than Universal. So much so that i've jokingly told my wife maybe at night for dinner we should leave Universal and head over to Disney Springs!

Hmm. I like the food more at Uni than Disney. Though I also always have a car and tend to go to sweet tomatoes or yardhouse often.

What is the best deluxe resort at Universal? Royal Pacific, Hard Rock, or Portafino? I know that's pretty subjective, but it seems like everything I've read Hard Rock keeps coming up on top

Portofino. Didn’t care for hard rock. HR is closER to Studios than Portofino or Royal. Royal is closer to IOA than HR or PB. Doesn’t mean any are actually far. It’s a pleasant stroll, even to/from Portofino.

. How many days is ideal? I am kind of thinking of getting there on a Monday afternoon, and leaving on that Friday afternoon. Is that a good time frame, or is that too much? I figured that gives us 3 full days in the park, plus two half-days.

Um, well, our first trip to Orlando involved 10 in-park disney days and 4 in-park Universal days.

So your trip sounds super short to me.

So I might not be the one to ask.


You mentioned you’re a bigger guy, and I don’t know if that means an extra 20 pounds to you or if you shop at DXL like my ex, so I’ll just mention that in general Universal rides are harder for plus sized people. There are threads here where many people have given their dimensions and experiences, so you can judge for yourself where you’ll be in the spectrum.

My ex could never get onto Dr Doom, forbidden journey, gringotts, hulk, rip ride rockit, or mummy. He’s built like a sumo and has a very broad back, a belly and big chest, AND tree trunk thighs. The combo made those rides impossible. If it was just his torso and he had skinny legs then gringotts and mummy could have happened. Probably FJ, too and maybe Hulk. But the bottom of the restraint hit his legs too high to click in.

He still had tons of fun at Uni. And I’m a ride chicken so I don’t *like* going on the huge rides; I did go once a trip on each for/with my son, but there was an incident involving tears when my son overloaded me with too many big rides in one day. (Embarrassing) What I’m saying is that you don’t have to go on everything to have a great trip.


And Uni allows everyone into the ride lines, even if you can’t ride. So the family can still hang out until just before seating. So if there are rides where maybe it’ll only be your son riding, that can work.

And if he likes Harry Potter, 11 is the perfect age to go!

 

[georgina]

You've gotten a lot of good advice. I have some experience with Volcano Bay and suggest you take advantage of the early entry for resort guests. Since you are going during the week as opposed to a weekend, crowds at VB should be lower. Everything has been 'ride now' or short waits when I have been there early. Or, you could take the opposite approach and go about 3 hours before closing time. If you only have 1 day there, then go early for rides, relax on the beach and enjoy the lazy river during the busy afternoon, and go on rides again later in the day. I always wear a long-sleeve rash guard to avoid sunburn, I'm sure that would be fine but not sure about a T-shirt.

Don't forget to check out the restaurants at the resorts as well as Citywalk. We like Mythos in IOA, Confisco Grille for a quick bite, the Kitchen at Hard Rock, Jake's at RPR. There is an Italian one at Portofino I have not tried, and at Sapphire Falls the restaurant feature Caribbean cuisine.

 

[skylock]

Universal is not Disney and for me, that is a good thing. I love Disney, have probably been 30 times over the years, but I no longer go because it winds up making me mad with how things are done there now. And I am not paying that kind of money to make myself mad.

I actually think Universal has Disney beat for people that are sensitive to motion or don't want to ride for whatever reason. There is so much to look at and explore. We always have express pass, but I am handicapped and wheelchair bound so there are lots of times I am tired or whatever my reason is that I don't go on the rides, so I am the designated holder of stuff while they go ride, but there is always something for me to do while I wait.

Your 11 yr old is probably going to love the Universal parks. Be sure to have a meal in the HP areas. My favorite is 3 broomsticks. I like the corn on the cob there that you can get. You can not get that at Leaky Cauldron. But both places have good food. No reservations there. It is a casual place.

Also, Universal has a dining plan, that if your entree is $14 or above, will save a few bucks. You can use the snack credit for a butterbeer and I think those are about $8. Your whole group does not have to get it and you can buy it when you place your food order. No need to buy ahead. We usually get it when we do 3 broomsticks.

We usually get several throwaway rooms at RPR, usually the cheapest and we have a large group. We use the room for the express pass perk, but we actually stay off site in a large condo for better space and cost.

For nice leisurely touring, we go 4 days. Everyone has an annual pass of some variety and we just make sure each car we are bringing has one person with a free parking pass.

But if you only had three people and the express pass, two days should be fine.

I have never had a bad meal anywhere at UO or citywalk we have eaten. I think you will find the prices cheaper than disney also. Don't forget to check into the hotel dining places also.

I think you will like Universal, I know I do.

 

[Suprachica79]

We are total Universal nuts and love the offerings. Our last trip was a week at Portofino club level and it was one of our top 3 vacations of all time. For a couple, Portofino is very romantic, it feels like you’re in a little Italian bay. For a family, HR might be more your speed, and location is definitely better.

As for food, we find Uni is just much more convenient. Reservations are days in advance, not months, and that’s only for a select few of them. Toothsome is an experience you have to try at least once, we love the food and go at least once per trip, sometimes more just for dessert. We tried Vivo on this last trip and it was phenomenal, that will be a staple on every trip from here on out. For fancy food, The Palm at Hard Rock was exceptional, and I’ve heard great things about Bice at Portofino, we just felt Vivo was so good at half the cost.

Your time frame is plenty, especially with staying on site. We did a full week, but we love Universal and like to spend a lot of time in the parks, even we felt towards the end that it could have been a bit shorter.

 

[Monykalyn]

Universal is different than Disney. We enjoy both - and we are definitely a Disney family at heart. We were just there over Christmas week, staying off site 4 days. We got Premier AP in June last year (free parking, EP after 4). Even on one of the busiest weeks of the year we had minimal waits at restaurants as walkups (family of 4-oldest didn't make this trip). The restaurants in City walk are very good, the one we return to almost every trip is NBC Grille.
Definitely eat at one of the HP restaurants, and consider getting an interactive wand. If you kiddo likes HP you could spend hours in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade doing spells!
FYI Forbidden Journey doesn't spin you "upside down" but you are on your back a couple times and it swings around. I don't consider it terribly jarring but you are moved around quite a bit. Also the new Potter coaster will have been open for several months when you go-be aware that while the other Potter attractions now have EP the new one may not yet.

This was the first family trip we've taken to Orlando and NOT done Disney as well. I don't think any of us actually missed it!

We tried Vivo on this last trip and it was phenomenal, that will be a staple on every trip from here on out

Ugh so bummed we still haven't tried it! That and Antojitos is still on my list!

 

[smiths02]

You may want to look for a rash guard - I think Lands End or LL Bean would have them in the sizes you are probably looking for. Whereas a park might not let you wear a Tshirt, they never say anything about a rash guard. It also dries a lot faster than a standard T.

We haven't been to Universal yet, but I was going to add the suggestion of a rash guard. They also offer UV protection

 

[lebeau]

#1. You don't need a reservation. If you walk up at a busy time, you might have a wait for a table just like you would any other restaurant. It's worth checking to see if the restaurant takes reservations or not. Especially if you are going when it is bust. We loved Cowfish. I have heard great things about Vivo but every time I try to eat there, the wife and kids steer us back into Cowfish which is right nextdoor.

#2. All three deluxe hotels are great. Hard Rock is the closest and Portofino Bay is the furthest away, but the difference is negligible. Portofino Bay is about a 10 minute boat ride from the parks. And by the way, those boats come about every ten minutes. It's nothing at all like waiting on Disney buses. The ride to and from the parks is enjoyable instead of crowded, sweaty and bordeline unsafe. If you stay at the deluxe hotels, you are going to find Universal to be a comparatively stress-free experience. We haven't returned to Disney since we discovered Universal and the deluxes. For a family of four, they are a bargain!

BTW, Porotfino is our favorite. But go with the theme/price that appeals to you most. They are all excellent.

#3. We generally spend a week there and don't run out of things to do, but your mileage will vary. We break up the dry parks with a day at Volcano Bay and take our time. It is possible with EP to rush from ride to ride and finish all the headliners in a day, but you miss out on so much that way. Three days should be a good introduction. I'll bet you will want to go back for more though.

#4. You can easily spend an entire day at Volcano Bay. Pro Tip: Get there early. The first couple hours will have comparatively short lines. Early Park admission (a hotel benefit) is a huge advantage. Make a beeline for the Krakatau Water Coaster! I personally wear a "swim shirt" I bought from a surf shop online. These kinds of things are becoming more popular I think. They are supposed to be healthier. And let's face it, most dads don't need to be walking around without a top.

As for food, Disney has a lot more to choose from. But I'll put the meals I have had at Citywalk up against the best meals I have had at WDW.

 

[bobbie68]

Hi I have to agree with pp about not comparing the two parks. It is a totally different vacation. Each one is good in its own way. We have been going to Disney for many years but now with older teens Universal is more appealing and fun. I have to admit my family loves the laid back part of Universal. The express pass is amazing and now we are spoiled with it. You will want to have express pass if you are going in the spring. We are amusement park junkies and go to all our local ones. I think there is a variety of rides at Universal that can keep everyone happy and engaged.

We have stayed at HRH and PBH for deluxe and both are great but now we have decided that PBH is our favorite. Honestly, you can't go wrong with any of the on-site resorts it is a matter of preference for the theme, size and proximity.

We always go for a week and put about 5 days in the parks and two at the resorts. This does include Volcano Bay. We have been twice and love this water park. It does take some time to get use to the virtual queue line system but it really can work. I agree to get there for early entry. I see shirts worn more times than not these days so it shouldn't be a problem Just make sure there is nothing sharp on it.

I think three to four days will be good and adding resort time if you can.

We love the HP restaurants in the park. We love Toothsome and always eat there twice. Margaritaville is good as is Bubba Gump. I am sure you will hear plenty of good suggestions on the boards. I haven't eaten in the resorts restaurants but many of them get good reviews.

I can't help with the rides and any epilepsy I have not had to plan for this. As far as motion sickness Simpsons ride and Forbidden Journey can cause some. I would look into MIB I am not sure if there is strobing that could create seizures.

A suggestion is to look at some trip reports on that thread. I know when I read other people's reports it gives me ideas and I get excited for the trip!

Relax and enjoy planning your trip you and your family will have a great time!!!

 

[CyndiLooWho]

I haven't read all the responses, but here is my 2 cents:

We stay a week in Orlando, offsite at Wyndham Bonnet Creek. I would not stay anywhere else for the price. It's an amazing property, it's close to the parks, and it works for us. I might spring for 2 nights at one of the Deluxe for just me and hubby, but no way for a family of 4 or more. We get 3 bedrooms, 2 lazy rivers, and still can see EPCOT and MK fireworks from one of the towers at WBC. Even if we were not Wyndham owners, I'd want to stay there.

We get a 7 day, 2 park pass, but we generally only get to the parks about 4 days. Every time we've gone, the 7 day pass has been the best value. It also gives us the opportunity to pop in after dinner at City Walk if we want to, even if we didn't go to the park that day. We always do one day at KSC and come back to have dinner at City Walk. The kids look forward to it every time. Our last Orlando vacation was Disney, and we still did City Walk after KSC. And got 13 doz donuts from Voodoo Donuts for the next day - YUM!

City Walk has good restaurants, and you don't need to make reservations months in advance. I would make ressies a week or two in advance for some of the more popular places. I think I made our Cowfish reservations a day ahead. If you go after either 5pm or 6pm, you only pay $5 to park, so it's not a bad deal. Parking there is better than parking at Disney Springs. In the parks, we really liked Finnegan's and the family meal at Three Broomsticks was a hit for our teens. None of them were Spice Road Table or Jiko, but you can hit any Disney Resort for dinner, and there are nice places in Orlando outside of the parks, too (Cuba Libre is really good).

 

[acarsme123]

Thanks for all the responses! I also noticed the disclaimers that guests of Hard Rock, Royal Pacific, and Portafino get priority seating at most restaurants....does this mean if I didn't make a reservation that we would still probably get seated in a decent amount of time?

 

[acarsme123]

As far as size concerns I weigh about 285, 5' 9", and wear 40" waist pants....i carry all of my weight up top, but am pretty normal in the legs. I hope I can get on the rides, but the diet has already started!

 

[schumigirl]

Thanks for all the responses! I also noticed the disclaimers that guests of Hard Rock, Royal Pacific, and Portafino get priority seating at most restaurants....does this mean if I didn't make a reservation that we would still probably get seated in a decent amount of time?

It can bring down wait times massively.

We turned up at Margaritaville and the wait was well over an hour. We showed our room key and we were seated within 10 minutes.

We never make reservations in all our trips, except for The Palm which is always busy and somewhere we don’t want to miss.

I have heard at times they say the priority seating isn’t utilised. We haven’t experienced that but I know some folks on here have had that happen.

As for the rides, most of the rides where folks have issues with size there is a test seat outside and it’s always worth trying to see if you’ll be comfortable. No one bats an eye at folks trying them out........

Some rides it will be where you carry your weight more than others........RRR has the safety bar around your tummy......FJ and Hulk the harness comes over your shoulder so broad shoulders and large chests can be affected........wear squishable clothing......that helps........

 

[schumigirl]

I haven't read all the responses, but here is my 2 cents:

We stay a week in Orlando, offsite at Wyndham Bonnet Creek. I would not stay anywhere else for the price. It's an amazing property, it's close to the parks, and it works for us. I might spring for 2 nights at one of the Deluxe for just me and hubby, but no way for a family of 4 or more. We get 3 bedrooms, 2 lazy rivers, and still can see EPCOT and MK fireworks from one of the towers at WBC. Even if we were not Wyndham owners, I'd want to stay there.

We get a 7 day, 2 park pass, but we generally only get to the parks about 4 days. Every time we've gone, the 7 day pass has been the best value. It also gives us the opportunity to pop in after dinner at City Walk if we want to, even if we didn't go to the park that day. We always do one day at KSC and come back to have dinner at City Walk. The kids look forward to it every time. Our last Orlando vacation was Disney, and we still did City Walk after KSC. And got 13 doz donuts from Voodoo Donuts for the next day - YUM!

City Walk has good restaurants, and you don't need to make reservations months in advance. I would make ressies a week or two in advance for some of the more popular places. I think I made our Cowfish reservations a day ahead. If you go after either 5pm or 6pm, you only pay $5 to park, so it's not a bad deal. Parking there is better than parking at Disney Springs. In the parks, we really liked Finnegan's and the family meal at Three Broomsticks was a hit for our teens. None of them were Spice Road Table or Jiko, but you can hit any Disney Resort for dinner, and there are nice places in Orlando outside of the parks, too (Cuba Libre is really good).

Parking is now free after 6pm except when events such as HHN are on

 

[wookiebeck]

I am excited for you to be excited! Yes, Uni is different, so yes, you and the family should try it. Life is more fun that way. There will be new experiences you will absolutely LOVE. Not everything is 3-D, BTW.

Your plan for 3 full days will be great. Having some half days for resort pools is super-relaxing (hopping and exploring the other hotels on property is allowed). There is good food to be found in the parks, at the resorts and in City Walk. My hope it that you have so much fun, you would rank a WDW and USO vacation the same.